So in my quick listen - I heard North/South the same as Kim did - forgetting that was John Jakes and not Elizabeth Gaskell. Love the episode - wonderful as always. So many new suggestions!! OHH Homecoming has been on my list for awhile - so to the top it is! Betsy had me at “witch” aura in The Birth House! You all could talk to me all day about books (and yarn/fiber) - or maybe anything as to how much I enjoy my Friday afternoons with you all. 💜 Thank you.

It’d be fun to have a Read-Along (RAL?) in which we all read the same book along with you three, who discuss it as we move through. I always think of the book first, TV/movies last. I have taken all “homeless” books (I am a bibliophile and so everyone in my family sends books my way) in and given them a place on the shelf. One small volume is “Mrs. Gaskell’s” Cranford, a small book that fits in my hand and has delicious endpapers, like Victorian small floral cotton print. Carry on - summer is a great time to read.

I really enjoy listening to you ladies, books, yarn, spinning, knitting, whatever. Thanks so much.♥️

I always enjoying listening to the three of you dialog whether about knitting, books, or other random things!

Thank you Simone for recommending The Count of Monte Cristo. I read it in April, it was an epic tale and a wonderful way to be transported into another era. I learned so much and want to read more books by Dumas.

Thank you, as always! Elizabeth Gaskell wrote "Cranford," one of my all-time favorite miniseries- so many stars led by Judi Dench! I paused your program to put my name into my public library queue for North and South, as well as Homecoming. I'm thoroughly enjoying two of Geraldine Brooks' novels right now: "Year of Wonders," about the 1566 Plague in England, and "Caleb's Crossing," about the British and Native Americans in New England area in the 1700s. This author, a Pulitzer winner, does such fascinating research and uses language in amazing ways through vocabulary, metaphors, and historical context. Highly recommend!

That's one of the fun of reading, getting through time and space ...

I marvel at Betsy's concise memory and recall of the detail and nuances of a previously read book ! Often once I finish a book and move on to the next, I have forgotten most finer points, unless it was extremely memorable ! LOL...don't feel bad, Kim, I thought the same about North and South, as I've never heard of that particular classic, duh ! Love the community spirit and the idea of a read-along ❣

I read The Secret Garden by Kate Morton quite a long time ago and really liked it. I'll be reading more of her work. Thanks for reminding me.

Each of the books sound like great reading. I finished The Frozen River by Albanese. This was a midwife story based on a real woman. I also finished Hester, a retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter. I didn't want it to end. I am really enjoying your book talks. I also like finding out what others in the comments are reading.

I love all of Kate Morton's work. Captivating books.

Totally with Kim. I heard North and South and immediately thought of the 90s miniseries

I was thinking of John Jake’s north and south

I absolutely loved Homecoming!!!!

Really enjoyed hearing about all three of these books. I was lucky enough to have midwives at the births of both of my sons, back in the ‘70’s. They were born in the hospital, thankfully bec there were complications, but I was so grateful to have the midwives with me the entire time. I’ve recently read The Frozen River, based on the true story of a midwife in the late 1700’s. I couldn’t put it down. I’ve also recently read Love and Missed by Susie Boyt which is a compelling story about the relationship between a mother and her daughter. It’s about 200 pages and beautifully written. Highly recommend. Also recommend North Woods by Daniel Mason. The main character in this book is a cabin the woods of Massachusetts. So good!

Great hearing about your books today. North and South was a television series on BBC here in the UK. Also Testament of Youth was a television serial. Winifred Holtby , a friend of Vera Britten, wrote several books. Probably the best known is South Riding. A really good read. 🇬🇧

Love the book reviews! Thanks for sharing. Have always been a fan of Kate Morton….. I’d encourage you to read most of her work!

I, too, thought she was talking of John Jakes’ book. You are not alone, Kim😊

The miniseries 'North and South' on Britbox (here in Canada) is based on Simone's book - I found it to be very good.

I just finished “The Spoon Stealer” by Lesley Crewe. It was funny and touching. Thanks for the recommendation. I had never heard of Leslie Crewe. I had to pause the podcast to put “Homecoming” on my to-read list. Elizabeth Gaskell also wrote “Cranford” and that was a great PBS series. I was thinking along the same lines as you Kim when I heard the title “North and South.”😁

Elizabeth Gaskell is one of my favorites! I appreciate how her novels center around the changing economics of the time. (Much like Dickens). I recently finished All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It’s a really good read!

I read the Birth House when it was on Canada Reads. I believe. So good!

It is also interesting that we now have nurse practitioners who fill an inportant niche in our medical care. For many years they were also not accepted in many health care settings. We have pharmacists giving vaccines, along with other medications, where it was only a nurse or dr. able to provide this service, historically. Things are always changing..

Kim, I finished listening to the Moby Dick unabridged audiobook yesterday. Bless your heart. There is NO WAY I would have finished it if I had tried to read it. I would have thow n in the towel before Ishmael got on the ship 😂. At least listening to it I could work on projects and feel productive while Melville went off on a tangent.

I hadn't heard of Vera Brittain before, but she was featured in a book I read a few days ago, Secret Voices: A Year of Women's Diaries. The sections from her diaries are some of the most heartbreaking quoted in the book, actually, only rivalled by Fanny Longfellow writing about the loss of her child.

I was thinking American Civil War too! But as you talked about the book, I realized that I have watched that mini series. And ‘Homecoming’ was great! Thanks, Ladies!

Scots Bay is such a lovely area with Cape Split and the hiking trails and such. Kim, you should show a picture of Cape Split and Scots Bay to Betsy so she can have a picture in her mind of the area. Although it would have been much more isolated in the early 1900's....

I have both read the book and seen the miniseries. I can highly recommend the miniseries which had great casting and was very well done.

OMG I loved Kate Morton’s Homecoming. Hope you enjoy the read.

I was confused as well, Kim!!!!

I’ve enjoyed all of Kate Morton’s books, so I hope you do too. I’ve read the read the Birth House too 🙂

After this episode I went directly to our local library and took out Homecoming. Can't wait to start......but reading means less knitting time, ..... audible maybe.... lol

I'm with you, Kim. I thought Civil War Noth and South

I finished CoMC. It was great

I highly recommend Gaskell’s novels. Richard Armitage in N/S was perfect.

I am a frequent watcher of both your knitting and book episodes. I am wondering if you ladies might be reading knitting mystery novels? I have discovered there are a few books and series out there. They are murder mysteries with knitting in them and some even have a pattern in it ex. Knit One: Kill Two.. by Mary Sefton.

Oh my goodness! Betsy and Simone you both don't look old enough to have teenagers or even a child in their 20s!